SFCA Board Appointment

Pictured (from left) is Jonathan Johnson, executive director; Karen Tiller

Polivka, commissioner; Barbara Saramines-Gannes, chair; Dean Sakamoto,

commissioner. James Gonser photo credits.

Dean Sakamoto was sworn-in today, September 17th, to serve as commissioner on the Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts Board. He was appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to serve a four year term at this post which entailsguiding policy and commissioning for this agency under the Department of Accounting and General Services. Sakamoto will serve on the Art in Public Places Program committee which oversees the State's permanent andrelocatable public art collection as well as the Hawaii State Art Museum (HiSAM).

For more information on SFCA see: http://sfca.hawaii.gov/

21st Century School Design for the Tropics

Dean Sakamoto organized and moderated a roundtable discussion, at the University of Hawaii Manoa Campus: School of Architecture, of local architects and academics that included: 

Mark Ayers, AIA, LEED AP, Ferraro Choi

Cathi Ho-Schar, AIA, Collaborative Studio

Kyle Hamada, Collaborative Studio

Stephen Meder, University of Hawaii at Manoa

Richard Munday, AIA, Newman Architects

Dean Sakamoto, FAIA, LEED AP, Dean Sakamoto Architects

Jonathan Weintraub, R.A., Hawaii DOE Facilities Design Branch

To discuss the changes and needs for a 21st century learning space and how to adapt to the conditions. Each professional provided a short presentation on their specialized project afterwards a lively student/professional discussion and Q&A.

Dean Sakamoto on Think Tech Hawaii

Dean Sakamoto will be a guest on Jay Fidell's radio show ThinkTech Hawaii 'Catching Up with Kaka'ako', which will air on Wednesday, August 20th at 3PM on UStream. He will be discussing the Urban Resilience for the future of Kaka'ako with his HURRIPLAN expertise, initiative role with the AIA National Disaster Relief Committee, and knowledge on Vladimir Ossipoff.

To stream the show: http://thinktechhawaii.com/live-on-ustreamtv.html

ThinkTech Hawaii is a non-profit corporation created to raise public awareness about the importance of technology, energy, , diversification, and globalism to the diversification of Hawaiʻi's economy and future. For more information of ThinkTech Hawaii see link: http://thinktechhawaii.com/.

(Image Credits: http://www.kakaako.net/about/kakaako/)

NTBG Turns 50 Years Old!

The National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kauai, Hawaii turns 50 years old today, August 19th! And Dean Sakamoto, architect of NTBG's Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center (BRC), is attending this event. During this celebration, NTBG will be announcing the dedication of the new Biodiversity Trail which honors Senator Daniel K. Inouye. NTBG's Congressional Charter was achieved by Senator Inouye in 1964, his first among many lasting legacies he has established for Hawai`i. Today, NTBG is a global leader in responsible sustainable development - striking a balance between the natural environment and humankind's ability to shape it. Pictured above at the Daniel K. Inouye Overlook is Thomas Hewitt, NTBG Board Chairman-elect; Chipper Wichman, NTBG, Director and CEO; Mayor Bernard Cravalho of Kaua`i; Irene Hirano Inouye, President of the U.S.-Japan Council and Ford Foundation Chair of the Board of Trustees; and Hau`oli Wichman, NTBG, Assistant to the Director. 

To read more about the National Tropical Botanical Garden: http://ntbg.org

In addition to the the completion of the LEED Gold certified BRC, DSA has completed the Native Hawaiian Community Learning Center and Breadfruit Institute facilities on NTBG's Research Campus Renovations for more information about these projects see: http://www.dsarch.net/projects/ntbg_admin.html